Here is a question a lot of people don’t ask before getting dental implants, and they should: do implants require special care? In a recent video, Dr. Kendall gave a straight answer. Yes, they need maintenance, but not the kind you might fear, and not at the price some offices charge for it.
Watch: Do Implants Require Special Care?
Yes, Implants Need Maintenance, Just Like Teeth
Whether you have a single implant, a full set of fixed teeth, or The Ultimate Smile in 24 Hours, your new smile requires upkeep, the same way natural teeth do. Even dentures need maintenance, as Dr. Kendall covered in another video. An implant is a permanent part of you, and like anything permanent, it does best when it is looked after.
Just like your car warranty is dependent on you rotating the tires and changing the oil, implants also require you to maintain the health of the gums around them.
Implants Can’t Get Cavities, but Gums Can Get Sick
Here is the good news: dental implants can no longer get cavities, and they never need root canals. What they can get is gum disease. Gum disease is a disease of the bone and tissue that comes from not clearing away the bacteria around your teeth or implants, and since bone and tissue are exactly what hold an implant in place, keeping the gums healthy is the whole game.
What Our Implant Warranty Asks of You
The warranty we offer on our dental implants depends on you taking care of them. That means not smoking, and it means coming in at least every six months to have your implants cleaned and checked. Think of it like a car warranty: the manufacturer stands behind the engine as long as you change the oil. We stand behind your implants as long as you keep the gums around them healthy, and those six-month visits are how we make sure that is happening.
What Maintenance Costs Here (and What It Costs Elsewhere)
Some offices require more frequent visits, and Dr. Kendall has seen implant maintenance programs priced at $3,000 a year. In our office, as long as you are maintaining your implants properly at home, your visit is a normal cleaning at a normal cost, the same as a patient who has all of their natural teeth. Brushing, water flossing, and the other habits we recommend at home are what keep it that simple.
If home care slips and we see it in your gums, we may ask you to come in more often for a while. That is not a penalty; it is how we protect your investment. We want your dental implants to last as long as possible, and catching gum issues early is the surest way to make that happen.
Don’t Blow the Engine
Dr. Kendall’s analogy is worth remembering. You cannot have a car that lasts a long time if you never change the oil or even check it; eventually you blow the engine. Implants are the same. Not maintained properly, they can be lost, along with the investment behind them. Maintained properly, with the right soft toothbrush, a water flosser, and two cleanings a year, they can last for decades.
Implant Care in Longview, Tyler, and Shreveport
At Texas Sedation Dental & Implant Center, we place implants and we look after them for life, with your fixed smile backed by our Love Your Smile Money Back Guarantee. Wondering whether implants are right for you, or want us to check on the ones you have? Schedule your complimentary Ultimate Smile Assessment, a $500 value that includes a 3D CBCT scan.
